The rate at which COVID-19 cases in schools are being recorded needs urgent action by the Ghana Education Service (GES).
GES with support from the Ghana Health Service must be charged to start unannounced visits to schools to inspect if covid-19 protocols are being adhered to at all.
COVID-19 Cases in Schools and what our readers are saying
“I would please request that GES goes round the schools to assess the classroom situation, especially in this covid times,” A concerned reader on Ghanaeducation.org said.
This inspection must capture schools at all levels, especially pre-tertiary schools. The cases recorded in Akosombo International School calls for urgent and proactive action to safeguard our children and help reduce Covid-19 cases in schools.
It is very alarming to see school children dressed up for school yet without nose masks on. Some of these learners only wear it when getting closer to school.
In Ghana before COVID-19 teachers and school authorities could not ask learners to go home for not wearing sandals or wearing torn uniforms nor for being late. Today, with the wearing of nose masks being compulsory, what are school authorities to do?
School authorities in both public and private schools must be held accountable to some extent should COVID-19 cases be recorded in their institutions.
COVID-19 Cases in Schools must be a concern for every stakeholder of education. Teachers must be strict in the enforcement of COVID-19 protocols and must also do their best to lead by example.
In the absence of a concerted effort to follow the protocols of wear nose masks, using hand sanitizers, and washing hands regularly, the government may end up closing down schools soon or may take a longer time than usual to reopen schools when they vacate.
READ: 10 COVID-19 rules for parents as schools
We call on all stakeholders to mask up in our schools. Teachers and school leaders are doing their best however, schools need to take their observance of the safety protocols to the next level. Compliance and adherence must not be negotiated.
For owners of private schools and their teachers, they stand to lose greatly if the government decides to close down schools.
Unfortunately, some of these private schools have not altered their shuttle services for school children. They still lump up school children in their minibusses.
Learners picked up are forced to bump up together, creating ventilation challenges, a fertile atmosphere for COVID-19 to thrive and spread.
The MTTU must be on the roads and arrest such school buses that continue to carry excess number of children in buses.
These might have gone unnoticed, but one covid-19 case in a school bus can be very disastrous. If your ward joins the school bus and you have not questioned this practice, now is the time to start.
The GES has called for public and private schools with large numbers to run shift systems however, has the GES made follow-ups to inform itself on the reality on the ground?
The Ghana Education Service, private and public schools, have a role to play in ensuring that school children and all staff within their school communities do what is expected of them. Schools that do not meet the basic requirements should be closed down temporarily until they do the needful.
Let us not drop our guard, COVID-19 Cases in Schools must see a decline, COVID-19 is real, protect our children, let us be safe.
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Source: Wisdom Hammond | Ghanaeducation.org